Green council leader calls for economic summit to create low carbon economy

5 July 2011

Green council leader Bill Randall has called for a summit with Brighton and Hove business leaders to develop a new economic strategy for the city.

The main aims of this strategy will be to create jobs by attracting new businesses, as well as retaining and growing those already in the city.

This will help forge economic recovery and help the city to make the transition to a thriving low carbon economy, attracting investment and enabling business to compete in the burgeoning climate change sector.

Cllr Randall hopes to broker a city-wide consensus to kick-start the council's priorities which include making Brighton and Hove the UK's greenest city through sustainable economic development.

The call follows the State of the City report, which found the city had a strong economy that is buoyed by a healthy entrepreneurial spirit and a high number of businesses per person. The city has 13 400 small businesses, 86% of which employ fewer than 10 people.

The report revealed that significant numbers of private sector jobs are being created and there is also a thriving local and organic food sector. The economy is also boosted by eight million visitors each year.

An HSBC report recently described Brighton & Hove as one of the seven "super cities" that will lead the UK out of the recession.

The success of the city's creative industries and digital sector has contributed to this, as well as having two universities, which has meant a constant supply of well-educated residents.

Bill Randall said: "We are working on a programme of initiatives to improve the local economy, and we want to work with the city's business leaders to strengthen our city economic strategy.

"Not only is the existing economic strategy out of date, but new threats and opportunities have presented themselves.

"This summit will take into account the global recession and the massive public spending cuts we face, as we look forward to the economic recovery and to safeguard our long term success.

"We want to galvanise the city to showcase what we have to offer, working towards development certainty, and creating investment confidence.

"We aim to promote the theme of a green & low carbon city as part of the drive to make the city the UK's greenest."

 

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